DIGITAL GEAR – Classic timepieces and retro systems

Look around, a peeping Tom could have a hidden camera in the room. The spy camera available from Sharper Image is hidden inside a table clock and is so tiny it escapes notice. A more traditional and camera-free clock, Infoglobe from Google, is a great utility gadget to have around the home. A small radio can also be found in MobileBlu DAH-1500i, which is the world’s smallest MP3, according to Hyun Won America. In other gadgets this month, Toshiba Corp.’s wireless headphone wirelessly delivers stereo sounds using Bluetooth technology from a PC to users on the move.

Clock with a hidden camera

Sharper Image’s clock looks ordinary, with its screen displaying the time and date on an LCD (liquid crystal display). On the inside, however, is a digital camera that doubles as a security camera. After detecting outside motion, the camera starts recording images in full color and motion, which stops once it detects no movement. It records video in AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) format, in 320-by-240 pixel resolution, which can be viewed on a PC through a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 port. It comes with 64M bytes of memory and records up to 12 minutes of video, according to the company. A flash card slot enables more video. The clock measures 5.5 by 4.5 by 1.75 inches (13.97 by 11.43 by 4.45 centimeters) and if disconnected from a power plug, the camera runs on four AA batteries.

This $200 camera clock is available at http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/productview.jhtml?sku=SI401SIL

Google Infoglobe

For people like me who forget their own birthdays, Google’s Infoglobe could be a handy gadget to have. The clock, shaped like a globe, contains a 100-year calendar that can store birthday reminders; an LED ticker rotates around the globe when a birthday arrives. Infoglobe displays caller ID and its message center notifies users about voicemails waiting. This kitschy globe, of course, also displays time.

The $65 Infoglobe measures 6 by 6 by 5 inches (15.24 by 15.24 by 12.7 centimeters), and runs on one 9 volt battery. It is available at http://www.googlestore.com/product.asp?catid=2&code=GO0120

Toshiba wireless headphone

Bluetooth wireless networking technology is slowly making its way into mainstream products — keyboards, mice, headsets, personal digital assistants, cell phones and printers. Add headphones for PC stereo systems to that list — Toshiba recently launched Wireless Stereo Headphones, which should enable users to listen to music while moving or watch a DVD movie on a PC without disturbing others, according to the company.

Bluetooth technology allows products to connect wirelessly within a range of about 33 feet (10 meters). The wireless headphone uses Bluetooth 1.2 technology to receive sound from a Bluetooth-compatible PC. It supports only Windows Media Player for music and InterVideo Inc.’s WinDVD software for movies, said Rick Havacko, a Toshiba spokesman.

Setting up a Toshiba Bluetooth adapter on a desktop PC was time-consuming, but once that was done, the headphone performed well. It rendered great sound from the CD playing a single from the band Thievery Corporation, with strong bass and crisp vocals, similar to sounds rendered by the same song on Sony Corp.’s wired MDR-V300 stereo headphones.

Though the sound held up well while I was moving, it broke up occasionally, and stopped functioning about 26 feet (seven meters) inches) away from the desktop.

Buttons on the headphone’s corners allowed volume changes and switching between singles on a CD. The constant blipping of the Bluetooth adapter’s blue light attached to a front USB port was distracting, but moving it to the computer’s back solved the problem. The headphone design also takes a little while to break in — it flips around the back of the head, so it could cause pain to the tops of ears. The headphone has eight hours of battery life, Havacko said.

The $99 headphones could require adapters for PCs that don’t support Bluetooth, adding cost. Toshiba’s Bluetooth adapter costs $45, he said.

Explorer 1

Crosley Radio brings past to present with Explorer 1, a beautiful retro sound system dedicated to the successful launch of the Explorer 1 spacecraft in 1958. It comes with a radio tuner, three speakers, a CD player, and if that is not enough — built-in satellite radio. Crosley’s tie-up with XM Satellite Radio delivers over 150 channels of music to the radio. It also has a “Portable Audio Ready” feature that allows MP3 to be hooked up for playback. The handcrafted wood cabinet is carved and has aluminum accents, according to the company. Such fine items cost money though, so get ready to shell out $400 for it. Add to that XM Satellite Radio subscription, and it’s a pretty expensive item. It is available at http://www.crosleyradio.com/prods/crxm.html

World’s smallest MP3 player?

The iPod may be the most popular in the portable music player business, but Hyun Won America’s MobileBlu DAH-1500i could be the smallest. The 18-gram (.63 ounce) MP3 cube measures 0.94 by 0.94 by 0.94 inches (24 by 24 by 24 cms), making it the world’s smallest, according to the company. For its size, it packs quite a feature punch, with a voice recording microphone, an FM radio, USB 2.0 port and a blue OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display with a clock. Firmware allows for feature upgrades, according to the company. It runs on lithium ion batteries and comes in two versions, with 512M bytes 1G-byte storage, which cost $100 and $130 respectively on Wal-Mart’s Web site.

It supports audio files in MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) format, and users can download music files purchased from online stores supporting Microsoft Corp.’s Janus digital rights management system, including Napster Inc., MusicNow LLC, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Audible Inc.

The MobiBlu is being sold outside the U.S. under the JNC brand name, with product version starting with SSF, followed by digits. It is available as JNC SNC-8805 in Australia, for example. More information about the DAH-1500i is available at

http://www.mobibluamerica.com/dah1500.html